Starters: £4-£6
Mains: £7-£12
Desert: £1.50-£6
Room prices for one night- £75-£105
Located in Edinburgh’s city centre, the Ibis Styles St Andrew’s Square offers comfortable rooms and great service, paired with excellent food and drink.
Located a stone’s throw away from Princes Street, Edinburgh Bus Station and Edinburgh Waverly, guests can enjoy a day full of shopping and be able to quickly return for a good night’s stay.
The newly refurbished lounge, restaurant and bar is a clean modern design with funky artwork and comfortable plush furniture.
For dinner, I chose to start my evening off with the calamari with a garlic aioli, it did not disappoint.
Golden, crunchy and cooked to perfection – this was the perfect start to a good meal.
The calamari was generously portioned and for £6, you get your money’s worth in flavour and quality.
The menu offered was small, but this proved beneficial as it eliminated any issues with choosing a main.
To follow the calamari, I went for the fish and chips. The fish came coated in a light batter, a crisp and golden coating for the fluffy haddock in the centre.
Paired with golden chips, tartar sauce and mushy peas, this meal is perfect for the weary traveller off the train from Edinburgh Waverly.
For those who still have room left at the end of their main, I recommend the sticky toffee pudding served with Mackie’s Ice cream.
The richness of the pudding combined with the smoothness of the ice cream was the best way to round of a good meal.
A good selection of drinks is also on offer, guests can expect a good range of beers, wines and classic cocktails for a fair price.
After finishing their meal, guests can return to their very comfortable rooms where they can enjoy a good night’s rest while taking in the view of St Andrews Square.
The rooms have a strong Scottish theme with tartan carpets, thistles on the walls and scots poetry engraved in wooden fixtures.
Comfortable beds and accompanied with a bathroom equipped with Arran branded body wash, allows guests to properly relax after a hard day of exploring the capital.
The building is said to be where world famous Scots poet Robert Burns came up with his poem “The Whistle” after he stayed at the address with the hotel’s former aristocratic owners.
The poem centres around a drinking game between three lairds who drink themselves into a stupor, with the last man standing displaying his prowess by blowing an ebony whistle.
Rabbie said he was inspired after witnessing one man drink eight bottles of claret – just a stretch further than my three drinks.
Overall, my stay at the Ibis Hotel was excellent, the attentive staff and comfortable environment let me dream that I was on holiday for a day.
The central location is excellent for those looking for a meal after travelling to Edinburgh and to even kick off their shoes and rest up comfortably for the night for a fair price.
Guests can expect to find staff wearing face masks and should guests require they have hand sanitiser stations and face masks ready for everyone.
